Felix da Costa Fastest On Second Day Of Barcelona Test

Antonio Felix da Costa displayed his potential ahead of a possible second season in the GP3 Series by setting the pace on the second and final day of the second pre-season test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya.

The Portuguese driver has been in the final stages of talks with the Carlin team over a drive for the coming season, and put the British squad at the top of the timesheets during the morning session.

He finished up just 0.059 seconds clear of Matias Laine. Laine's MW Arden teammate Mitch Evans, the pre-season title favourite and pacesetter on Monday, was next up.

Kevin Ceccon continued to show promise in just his second day in a GP3 car, with Trident in fourth. Marlon Stockinger was fifth for Status, ahead of Conor Daly of Lotus GP and the Jenzer Motorsport duo of Robert Visoiu and Patric Niederhauser.

Aaro Vainio, returning to the Lotus GP cockpit after missing Monday's running due to an exam, was ninth, with Will Buller completing the top ten for Carlin.

An engine problem meant that Daniel Abt was only 22nd in the morning, but he bounced back in the afternoon to post the fastest time of the session, eight tenths off Felix da Costa's morning benchmark.

Maxim Zimin was second for Jenzer, 0.267s off the pace and a fraction ahead of Marussia Manor ace Tio Ellinas. It was another ex-Formula Renault UK racer Tamas Pal Kiss who was fourth best, ahead of Visoiu and Felix da Costa.

Evans was seventh ahead of Status drivers Kotaro Sakurai and Stockinger, with Marussia Manor's Fabiano Machado holding tenth. The third Status car was driven today by GP3 debutant Yann Zimmer, but the Frenchman had his afternoon times deleted for his car being found underweight.

The third and final pre-season test will take place at Silverstone on 11-12 April before the teams return to Barcelona for the opening round of the season in May.